Catholics have always begun a journey with prayer. The Church’s traditional travelers’ prayer asks God, who led Israel through the Red Sea and guided the Magi by a star, to bring us safely to our destination with his angels beside us. Below is that traditional prayer, short prayers before a flight or a road trip, a prayer for a loved one who is traveling, a blessing to give someone who is leaving, a prayer on arrival, and the patron saints of travelers.
The traditional Catholic prayer before a journey
This is the Church’s ancient Itinerarium (prayer for travelers), as given in Father Lasance’s With God (1911):
May the almighty and merciful Lord direct us on our journey; may He make it prosper and maintain us in peace.
May the Archangel Raphael accompany us along the way, and may we return to our homes in peace, joy, and health.
Lord, have mercy on us! Jesus Christ, have mercy on us! Lord, have mercy on us!
O God, Who didst cause the children of Israel to traverse the Red Sea dryshod; Thou Who didst point out by a star to the Magi the road that led them to Thee; grant us, we beseech Thee, a prosperous journey and propitious weather; so that, under the guidance of Thy holy angels, we may safely reach that journey’s end, and later the haven of eternal salvation.
Hear, O Lord, the prayers of Thy servants. Bless their journeys. Thou Who art everywhere present, shower everywhere upon them the effects of Thy mercy; so that, insured by Thy protection against all dangers, they may return to offer Thee their thanksgiving. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
A short prayer before any trip
Written for this page:
Lord, bless this journey and everyone who travels with me.
Send your holy angels to guard us on the way,
keep us safe from accidents and harm,
and bring us home again in peace.
Holy Mary, St. Joseph, St. Raphael, pray for us. Amen.
A prayer before a flight
Lord, Creator of the heavens and the earth,
I place this flight in your hands.
Watch over the pilots and the crew, the plane and all on board.
Calm my fears, keep us safe in the air,
and bring us to land in peace.
Our Lady of Loreto and St. Joseph of Cupertino, pray for us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. Our Lady of Loreto was named patroness of air travelers by Pope Benedict XV in 1920, and St. Joseph of Cupertino, famous for being lifted up in prayer, is also invoked by those who fly.
A prayer for a road trip
Lord, be with us on the road today.
Keep the driver alert and patient,
protect us from careless drivers, bad weather and breakdowns,
and let our time together in the car be peaceful and joyful.
St. Christopher, pray for us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page. See also our St. Christopher prayer for drivers.
A prayer for a loved one who is traveling
Lord, (name) is traveling today.
Go with him (her) every step of the way.
Protect him (her) from danger, guide his (her) decisions,
and bring him (her) safely to the journey’s end and home to us again. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
A blessing to give someone leaving on a journey
Parents often bless their children with the sign of the cross on the forehead before a journey. The ancient blessing God gave to the priests of Israel is perfect for this:
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
Say to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the children of Israel, and you shall say to them:
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.
The Lord shew his face to thee, and have mercy on thee.
The Lord turn his countenance to thee, and give thee peace.
And they shall invoke my name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them.
Or simply say, as Tobias’s father did when his son set out with the angel Raphael:
And Tobias answering, said: May you have a good journey, and God be with you in your way, and his angel accompany you.
Then all things being ready, that were to be carried in their journey, Tobias bade his father and his mother farewell, and they set out both together.
Psalm for travelers
Psalm 120 (121 in modern Bibles), one of the psalms the pilgrims sang on their way up to Jerusalem:
I have lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence help shall come to me.
My help is from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.
May he not suffer thy foot to be moved: neither let him slumber that keepeth thee.
Behold he shall neither slumber nor sleep, that keepeth Israel.
The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy protection upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not burn thee by day: nor the moon by night.
The Lord keepeth thee from all evil: may the Lord keep thy soul.
May the Lord keep thy coming in and thy going out; from henceforth now and for ever.
A prayer on safe arrival
Thank you, Lord, for bringing us safely here.
Bless our time in this place, the people we will meet
and the work or rest that awaits us. Amen.
This prayer was written for this page.
Patron saints of travelers
| Saint | Patron of | Feast day |
|---|---|---|
| St. Raphael the Archangel | Travelers, safe journeys | September 29 |
| St. Christopher | Travelers, drivers | July 25 |
| Our Lady of Loreto | Air travelers, pilots | December 10 |
| St. Joseph of Cupertino | Air travelers, pilots | September 18 |
| St. Frances Xavier Cabrini | Immigrants | November 13 |
| St. Nicholas | Sailors | December 6 |
See patron saint of travelers for more.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Catholic prayer for safe travels?
The traditional prayer is the Itinerarium above, which asks God to “direct us on our journey” and the Archangel Raphael to accompany us. A short prayer to St. Christopher or St. Raphael is also very common.
Can a priest bless me before a trip?
Yes. The Church’s Book of Blessings includes a blessing for those about to travel. Ask after Mass, especially before a long trip or a pilgrimage.
What should I pray during a long journey?
Many travelers pray the Rosary in the car or on the plane, or follow the Liturgy of the Hours. Even a short “Jesus, I trust in you” whenever you feel anxious is a real prayer.
More prayers
- Mother Cabrini, patron of immigrants
- Psalm 107 (He stilled the storm)
- Psalm 121 (I lift up my eyes)
- St. James prayer, patron of pilgrims
- Patron saint of travelers
- St. Christopher prayer
- St. Raphael prayer
- Novena to St. Raphael
- Catholic prayer for protection
- Guardian Angel prayer
Texts and sources
- Prayer for travelers: F. X. Lasance, With God (1911), Various Other Devotions, public domain (Wikisource).
- Scripture: Numbers 6:22–27; Tobias 5:21–22; Psalm 120 (121), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- Our Lady of Loreto as patroness of air travelers: Benedict XV (1920).
- The other prayers were written for this page.